Automatic aerial railroad



(No Model.)

H. W. LIBBEY. AUTOMATIC AERIAL RAILROAD.

No. 491,572. Ratented Feb. 14, 1893.

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3 a a fi A s vzraas m wore-urns STATES "NlE HOSEA W. LIBBEY, OF BOSTON,MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMATIC AERIAL RAILROAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 491,572, dated February14, 1893.

Applicationfiled March 8 1892.

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Hosea W. LIBBEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic AerialRailroads, of which the following, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, is a specification.

The obj ect of my invention is to produce an automatic aerial rail roadfor carrying passengers, mail, merchandise and thelike, and in carstherefor.

The invention consists of two sets of tracks, an upper and lower one ofundulating form, and a car mounted upon wheels and having a bar securedto the roof, the upper end of which bar is attached to an axle uponwhich wheels are secured so that when the car is in operation it isalternately carried by the upper wheels running down an incline on theupper track and then by the lower wheels running up an incline on thelower track from which it is swung off at the moment that the upperwheels are upon the downward incline on the upper track, the momentumthus obtained by the swinging off and running down the incline beingsuflicient to carry the car up the incline on the lower track and overits highest point when it is again supported by the upper track.

Referring to the accompanying drawings: Figure 1-represents a side Viewof an automatic aerial rail road embodying my invention. Fig. 2is avertical section taken on the line w, w, of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrow. Fig. 3is a horizontal section of a passengercar.

A, A, represent standards which may be of any desired design, and of therequired height, these standards are continued or connected at the topto form an arch A, to prevent the upper ends from spreading.

B, B, are arched girders that extend from one standard to another, andO, O, O, are stays or braces for keeping the upper ends of the standardsA, the proper distance apart.

D, is the lower track of the form shown, that is to say it'is formedwith a starting place and stations slightly on the incline as $erial No.424,175. (No model.)

shown at 1,fro1n the end of which it curves suddenly down as shown at 2,and then rises on an incline 3, from the upper part of which it againcurves down as at 2, and again rises on an incline 3, and so on untilthe next station or stopping place 1 is reached, the lower portion ofthis track rests upon the top of the arches B, and its highest portionsare supported by cross beams secured to standards E, resting upon thearches B.

F, is the upper track and consists of a series of downward and upwardinclines 4, 5, connected by a curved portion 6, at their lower ends androunded at their apexes 7, as shown, these tracks are supported at theirapexes by brackets F, projecting inwardly from the standards A, and attheir lower portions by bracket G, extending inwardly from standards H,carried by the arched beams B.

I, represents a car by which passengers, mail, merchandise and the likemay be transported; this car is at each end formed wedge shaped, as willbe best seen in Fig. 3, and slightly rounded up at the bottom and downat the top as shown in Fig. 1, whereby the car is enabled to cut the airso as to reduce the resistance to a minimum. To the under side of thecar are secured wheels J, preferably four pairs as shown (but of coursethe number would depend upon the length of the car) and at the rear ofthe car is secured a roller K, that extends entirely across the car incase the rear end of the car should at any time come into contact withthe point 8, of the lower track D, as the car swings oif the same. Tothe upper portion of the car are secured bars or rods L, the outer endsof which are secured to a block M, to which a rod or bar N, isfulcrumed, this bar is furcated or spread open at its upper end as willbe seen in Fig. 2, and through its upper ends is passed an axle 1?, uponthe outer ends of which are mounted flanged wheels Q. A spring R,secured at one end to the top of the car and at its other end to the rodN, draws the latter forward when the wheels Q, are oif the upper track.

T, are the brakes.

The operation is as follows: Supposing a car is at or upon a station asat 1, upon the attendant releasing the brakes T, the car runs down theincline and as soon as the center of the car is beyond the point 8, itwill tilt forward thus throwing the wheels Q, over the apex 7, of theupper track. The car then drops from the point 8, of the lower track andis supported from the upper track by the wheels Q, axle P, and rod N,but the moment the car leaves the lower track there is aswingingmovement imparted to it as the axle P, forms a fulcrum upon which itswings, and at the same time,,the wheels 1Q, running down the uppertrack gives a momentum to the car sufficient to cause it to travel upthe incline 3, and over the point 8, when the operation is repeateduntil the car comes to another station when the attendant applies thebrake and the momentum of the car will be retarded when it reaches theincline 1, and the car will be stopped.

What I claim is:

1. An automatic aerial rail road having two sets of tracks an upper andlowerone of undulating form, said tracks being supported ata properdistance apart substantially as set forth.

2. An automatic aerial rail road consisting of alower track D, havinginclined surfaces 3, in combination with an upper track F,'havinginclined surfaces 4, and suitable supports all arranged substantially asset forth.

3. An automatic aerial rail road consisting of a track D, havingstopping places 1, and inclined surfaces 3, up which the cars are causedto run, and an upper track F, having inclined surfaces 4, from which thecars are suspended when they leave the lower incline 3, substantially asset forth.

4. An automatic rail road consisting of a lower track D, having stoppingplaces 1, and

inclined surfaces 3, and an upper track having inclined surfaces 4, incombination with a car I, having wedge shaped ends, and fitted withwheels to adaptit to run up the inclines 3, and a rod or bar N, attachedto the roof, the upper end of said rod embracing an axle P, to whichwheels Q are secured, and means for drawing said bar forward when thewheels Q are off the incline 4, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses, on this 25th day of January, A.D. 1892.

HOSEA W. LIBBEY.

Witnesses:

CHAS. STEERE, EDWIN PLANTA.

